T20 World Cup 2026: Zimbabwe beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets to enter Super 8s unbeaten

Zimbabwe sealed an impressive six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Match 38 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, confirming their Super 8 qualification with an unbeaten group-stage record.As the African team chased down the target of 179, they maintained their composure and confidence in their ability to achieve their goal, continually rotating the strike and executing big shots at crucial times. The team's calm presence demonstrated clearly that they are currently in peak form, with exceptional success in both strike rotation and hitting boundaries at the right time. Winning this match will not only help keep the African team's momentum going but will continue to build on their reputation as perhaps the most disciplined and tactically sound team in this tournament.

When placed at bat first, Sri Lanka scored a respectable total of 178 runs for seven wickets. Pathum Nissanka contributed strongly to the score by scoring 62 runs off 41 balls. Early in the innings, Nissanka received support from Kusal Perera. Later in the innings, Pavan Rathnayake added considerable value to the Sri Lankan total by scoring an aggressive 44 runs at the end of the innings. Although Sri Lanka was losing wickets by the end of their innings, their approach to batting highlighted how dedicated they were to playing positive cricket as they kept the required total for the opposing team very challenging to chase. The runs scored during the power play and the late scoring ramped up suggested that Sri Lanka had scored enough runs to create challenges for any team, especially one chasing under pressure during a significant tournament.

Zimbabwe's bowlers were able to contain the strike, with Graeme Cremer and Blessing Muzarabani bowling disciplined spells and picking up important wickets at crucial times to keep the Sri Lankan run rate below 190. This limited the Sri Lankan build-up to a larger total, thus preventing them from gaining any momentum prior to their innings. The Zimbabwean bowlers, who varied pace and length to success in the last overs of the Sri Lankan innings, gained a significant advantage following a successful chase. The batsmen went into the chase with clarity of purpose and the knowledge that the target could be achieved by calculated aggression rather than by reckless power hitting.

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Sikandar Raza and Brian Bennett guide India to comfortable victory

Brian Bennett played a major role in the chase for victory with 63 not out. He combined patience with attacking play, building partnerships as he batted - first restoring the innings after an early loss, then increasing the tempo after he had settled in. With Bennett, Captain Sikandar Raza provided impetus through a brilliant innings of 45 runs from just 26 balls, punishing Sri Lanka’s bad deliveries and finding the gaps in the field. Their partnership turned the match from an evenly-matched contest to a one-sided game to be decided at will by Zimbabwe, who then maintained that initiative until attacking Sri Lanka’s bowlers relentlessly until the moment they were declared winners when they hit the winning runs with three balls remaining.

By completing a successful chase and not losing any matches in the group stage, Zimbabwe has demonstrated it has a consistent, adaptable team with high confidence. Each match demonstrated a different player’s performance contributed to the team’s success with both bat and ball, showing Zimbabwe has depth in both their batting and bowling departments. With this momentum now into the Super 8s, Zimbabwe can be viewed as serious contenders rather than underdogs. If they continue to play with discipline, Zimbabwe could become one of the most dangerous teams in the upcoming decisive portion of this tournament.

Top Performance

Brian Bennett delivered a match-defining unbeaten 63 off 48 balls, anchoring the chase with maturity and precision. He balanced caution and aggression superbly, rotating strike early before accelerating against the spinners. His calm presence ensured Zimbabwe never lost control of the required rate, and he guided the innings till the finish, showcasing composure under pressure and reaffirming his value as a dependable top-order pillar in high-stakes encounters.

Key Moments

Captain Sikandar Raza shifted momentum with a blistering 45 off 26 balls, dismantling Sri Lanka’s bowling rhythm during the middle overs. Earlier, Graeme Cremer’s disciplined spell and timely breakthroughs restricted Sri Lanka below a daunting total, ensuring the chase stayed realistic. Those two phases — Cremer’s control with the ball and Raza’s counterattack with the bat — proved decisive in tilting the contest firmly in Zimbabwe’s favor.

Brief Score:
Zimbabwe 182/4 (19.3 overs) – Brian Bennett 63*, Sikandar Raza 45; Dushan Hemantha 2/36
Sri Lanka 178/7 (20 overs) – Pathum Nissanka 62, Pavan Rathnayake 44; Graeme Cremer 2/27

Result: Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets.